Several particulars of the Maryland Blueprint for Education continue to be fluid in the state’s budget. Governor Moore’s plan rolled back parts of the Blueprint, slowing down costs but House committees have for the most part reinstated the spending. The Senate Budget and Taxation committee approved a pause in funding teacher collaborative time of four years instead of the House version, which would start in 2026.  Other parts of the plan will be reviewed this week.

Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is speaking out for veterans who have lost their jobs in federal layoffs. Over 6,000 vets across the country have been displaced so far. The senator says it is only because of court intervention that some of these federal employees are being reinstated and returning to work while others are currently on paid administrative leave.  Van Hollen says such cuts are not efficient…   “It just shows that this whole claim that this is about government efficiency is a farce, because what is more inefficient that paying people and then telling them not to come…

Governor Patrick Morrisey is asking the West Virginia legislature to pass the Power Generation and Consumption Act to encourage data center development in the state. The bill will allow companies to develop independent energy grids using natural resources, including coal and natural gas. Governor Morrisey says this will position West Virginia as a prime location for data centers, A-I processing and cloud computing…     “They’re going to need four to six to sometimes eight times the power needs we’ve had for traditional industrial sites in the past. We know that West Virginia has strategic locations for data security. We…

Maryland’s Democratic Senate President believes the new financial framework introduced last week can put the state back on the right track.  With a revamped tax program that adds a surcharge on capital gains and a 3% tax on information and data services, President Bill Ferguson says the plan does what it can in face of federal government uncertainty…     “We wish we were not in this position. We wish we had certainty from the federal level. But we know if we are going to fund our roads and bridges, if we’re going to fund our schools, our police officers,…

Strife between parents and faculty at Calvary Christian Academy and the administration of Calvary Baptist Church in Cresaptown are continuing, with a recent survey showing a majority of faculty and staff will not return for the next school year.  A parent advocacy board has determined that without a reinstated school board with the authority to govern all aspects of the school, members and parents are looking to establish a new school or homeschool co-op.  WCBC has reached out to Calvary Baptist Pastor Mike Lashbaugh for comment on the situation.

Three new firefighters were welcomed to the Cumberland Fire Department during a recent Mayor and City Council meeting. Christopher Shue, Dawson Ternent, and Scott Matthews were recognized for their completion of Firefighter Recruit Training. Department Fire Chief Shannon Adams says the three have previous fire experience…     “These three individuals came with experience and training so it made it very easy and quick to get them trained to do what we needed for our department and get them out on the streets to handle emergency calls. First part of October, they completed their firefighter training, HAZMAT training, and their…

Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates voted Monday to kill a controversial vaccination exemptions bill.  This has been one of the hot-button issues of the legislative session. Discussion on the House floor went on for about two hours today, with 26 delegates rising to speak.

Work is expected to start sometime in April to shore up the landslide-prone hillside along the Great Allegheny Passage biking and hiking trail below Kennywood near Pittsburgh.  The two-week project means the trail will be closed between mile markers 136 to 138, a key segment of the 150-mile trail.  Especially affected will be bicyclists from out of the region who may be unaware that they will be stopped by locked gates.

On Sunday, March 23rd, 2025, the Cumberland Police Department arrested Tracy Kerry Williams, 39, of Cumberland MD. Williams was arrested on three active Bench Warrants issued by the Allegany County District Court on March 13th, 2025. All the warrants allege Williams violated the terms and conditions of probation that stemmed from three previous convictions on charges of trespassing, CDS possession, and assault. He was taken before a District Court Commissioner for an Initial Appearance where he was remanded to the Allegany County Detention Center. He is currently being held without bond.  Name:    Tracy Kerry Williams         …

A recent survey from Wallet Hub ranked states in the US from best to worst for places to retire. The survey looked at key indicators of retirement – friendliness, financial factors like tax rates and the cost of living to things like access to quality medical care and fun activities.  Maryland scored 36th overall, with high scores for access to quality medical care and activities, but was 44th for affordability. Pennsylvania ranked 6th in the survey while Virginia was 11th.